Category: Nursery & Greenhouse

Erythrina leafminer (suggested common name); Leucoptera erythrinella Busck, 1900 (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae)

Figure 2. Upper and underside of erythrina leafminer (Leucoptera erythrinella) female.The erythrina leafminer is a member of the genus Leucoptera, which are leaf borers that can cause severe damage to plant crops, such as coffee or apples. Even though these moths are 1/20 to 1/10 the size of an average moth, they can cause serious damage. Leucoptera erythrinella is a pest of the coral bean and other members of the genus Erythrina. The larvae feed inside the leaves, making elaborate and characteristic mines, which from a distance appear to be discolorations of the leaf itself. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Andrei Sourakov, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, January 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1023

Impatiens Downy Mildew

Figure 2. Faint gray lines may be seen on the tops of leaves, or leaf edges may curl downward.Downy mildew on impatiens is of great concern throughout Florida. Winters in south Florida provide high humidity paired with cool nights, creating ideal conditions for disease development. Downy mildews are caused by several different species of pathogens that tend to be plant-host specific. Plasmopara obducens is the pathogen that affects impatiens. Some literature indicates that nighttime temperatures of about 50 to 72°F favor downy mildew, but the disease has been reported on impatiens year round in south Florida. This 4-page fact sheet was written by L. Sanagorski, B. Schall, A.J. Palmateer, and N.A. Peres, and published by the UF Department of Plant Pathology, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp309

Healing Chamber for Grafted Vegetable Seedlings in Florida

Figure 3. Grafted plants inside salad container.Grafting is a horticultural technology that combines two plants, the scion and the rootsock, to create a plant with desirable features from both parts. In the United States the use of vegetable grafting in field production remains limited, although 70% of the total hydroponic greenhouse tomato area uses grafted seedlings. Large, commercial grafting operations use controlled-environment growth chambers, but the high cost limits their use in most small-scale grafting operations. Healing chambers are an alternative solution that provides proper healing at a lower cost for growers and researchers. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Monica Ozores-Hampton and Aline Coelho Frasca, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1232

Veggies and Herbs: Made in the Shade A Growing Season Calendar for North Florida

Figure 1. Vertical cultures are used to grow herbs under shade. The importance of using an open shade structure for hydroponic crop culture in Florida has recently increased. Prior to the turn of the century, hydroponic culture in Florida was done inside a greenhouse structure, but it has now expanded to several other types of structures. In addition to greenhouses, production now exists in high tunnels, insect screens or net houses, and open shade-covered structures. In southern parts of Florida, outdoor hydroponic systems without any structure are becoming more common. In those cases, many operations use a polypropylene cover for freeze protection. Diversifying structures stems from growers’ desires to extend the season to meet consumer demand for a longer time period. The purpose of this publication is to indicate what crops have been successfully grown under shade in northern Florida at various times of the year. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Daniel K. Fenneman, Robert C. Hochmuth, Wanda L. Laughlin, and Sean R. McCoy, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, November 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1228

Protected Culture for Vegetable and Small Fruit Crops: Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars under High Tunnels

Figure 2b. Blueberry plants growing inside high tunnels in early January in north-central Florida. High tunnels have been proposed as an alternative for freeze protection and to increase fruit earliness of southern highbush blueberry. But there is no information about the effect of this type of structure on southern highbush blueberry fruit earliness under subtropical Florida conditions. This 3-page fact sheet summarizes the results of 2-year study in a commercial southern highbush blueberry farm in North Central Florida to compare early fruit weight in high tunnels to that of open fields. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Bielinski M. Santos and Teresa P. Salame-Donoso, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, July 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1226

Integrated Pest Management in Protected Structures I: Basic Principles and Scouting

Figure 1. Screen house made with insect-exclusion material. Credit: Bielinski SantosThe fundamentals of managing pests in protected structures are very similar in many respects to managing pests in field crops. But conditions within a protected structure can be modified to a certain degree to prevent, delay, or even mitigate pest issues. On the other hand, conditions that discourage one group of pests can often favor another. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Hugh A. Smith, Gary E. Vallad, and Bielinski M. Santos, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in994

’Fairytale Princess’ and ’Red Hot’: Red Lance-leaved Caladium Cultivars

Figure 1. ‘Fairytale Princess’ plant (about 6 weeks old) forced from four No.1 (1½ to 2½ inches in diameter) tubers in an 8-inch container (2011). Credit: Gail Bowman (UF/IFAS/GCREC).Caladiums are valued in landscapes and containers for their colorful and variable-shaped leaves. Two types of caladium cultivars exist in commercial production: fancy- and lance-leaved. ‘Florida Sweetheart’ is the most popular lance-leaved commercial cultivar of all colors. It produces wide lance leaves with a rosy color and relatively large tubers. ‘Florida Red Ruffles’ is the most popular red, lance-leaved commercial cultivar among caladium growers, greenhouse growers, and nurseries. It has excellent sunburn tolerance. Both cultivars were introduced by the University of Florida (UF) caladium breeding program. This 9-page fact sheet was written by Zhanao Deng, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, August 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep481

New Gerbera Daisy Varieties for Large Containers and Flower Gardens

Figure 2. Flower of ‘FuntasticTM Tangerine Eye’. Credit: Gail T. Bowman (UF/IFAS/GCREC)Gerbera daisy is one of the most popular flowers in the United States. Recently, interest has increased in growing gerberas in large containers for indoor or outdoor use. ‘Funtastic™ Tangerine Eye’ and ‘Funtastic™ Golden Eye’ have been selected and tested specifically for use in large containers. These cultivars produce large, powdery mildew-resistant plants and large, attractive flowers in orange-red or yellow-orange that complement the existing Funtastic™ series of gerbera cultivars. This 8-page fact sheet was written by Zhanao Deng, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, September 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep482

Ornamental Ficus Diseases: Identification and Control in Commercial Greenhouse Operations

Figure 7. Botrytis blight on Ficus elastica. Note the fluffy spores. Credit: D. J. NormanWhile edible figs are grown agronomically for delicious fruit, many Ficus species have been commercialized for decorative, ornamental purposes. These horticultural Ficus varieties are used for interiorscape houseplant décor and for outdoor landscape design. This article provides guidelines for the identification and treatment of diseases that may be encountered during the commercial production of ornamental Ficus. This 7-page fact sheet was written by D. J. Norman and Shad Ali, and published by the UF Department of Plant Pathology, August 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp308

Eriophyid mite vector of Rose Rosette Disease (RRD) Phyllocoptes fructiphilus Keifer (Arachnida: Acari: Eriophyidae)

Figure 1. Phyllocoptes fructiphilus Keifer is a tiny eriophyid mite and cannot be seen without magnification. Like all eriophyid mites, it has only two pairs of legs at the anterior of its worm-like body. Phyllocoptes fructiphilus Keifer, a tiny eriophyid mite, is the vector of a devastating viral disease of roses called Rose Rosette Disease (RRD). This mite can be spread by the wind and by contaminated clothing and equipment. It also is possible that it can disperse through phoresy (attaching itself to insects). As a result, the distribution of the mite and RRD is expanding. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Marjorie Hoy, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, May 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in999

Armillaria Root Rot (Also known as Mushroom Root Rot, Shoestring Root Rot, Honey Mushroom Rot)

Figure 3. Young developing mushrooms of Armillaria tabescens.Armillaria root rot is a disease that decays the root system of many common trees and shrubs. It is caused by several species of Armillaria, fungi that can be recognized by the clusters of yellow to honey-colored mushrooms that emerge during moist conditions. The disease is often lethal, and infected trees may have wilting branches, branch dieback, and stunted growth. Infected trees and shrubs should be removed and replaced with resistant species. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Laura Sanagorski, Aaron Trulock, and Jason Smith, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, July 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep478

Swirski mite (suggested common name) Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Arachnida: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae)

Figure 1. Adult Amblyseius swirskii feeding on thrips larvae. Credit: Steven Arthurs, University of FloridaAmblyseius is a beneficial predatory mite endemic to the Eastern Mediterranean region. This species is considered a generalist predator, and readily consumes small soft-bodied pest species as well as pollen or plant exudates. Amblyseius swirskii has attracted substantial interest as a biological control agent of mites, thrips and whiteflies in greenhouse and nursery crops and is currently reared and sold commercially in Europe and North America for this purpose. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Mahmut Dogramaci, Garima Kakkar, Vivek Kumar, Jianjun Chen, and Steven Arthurs, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1001

Florida Foliage House Plant Care: Spathiphyllum

Figure 1. Spathiphyllum 'Sweet Pablo' in a 2-gallon container. Credit: Gary HennenMost Spathiphyllum are seen in flower when at market. The attractive white blooms, called spathes, are long lasting. With proper plant care, Spathiphyllum may produce blooms year after year. Spathiphyllum is a very attractive house plant even when not in bloom and adapts well to home and patio environments. This 2-page fact sheet was written by R. J. Henny and J. Chen, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, June 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep477

Directory of Certified Deciduous Fruit and Nut Crops in Florida

stylized scenes in the life of a fruit treeThis 8-page fact sheet written by experts at North Florida REC Peter C. Andersen, Robert C. Hochmuth, Sean R. McCoy, and Lei Lani L. Davis, assists farmers in locating recommended cultivars of fruit and nut crops from Florida nurseries. The nurseries listed in Table 1 offer fruit and nut trees and are listed as certified nurseries with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Table 2 lists fruit and nut cultivars that UF/IFAS Extension specialists currently recommend or suggest on a trial basis. Published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, April 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1218

Palm Morphology and Anatomy

Figure 1. Generalized palm morphology.Palms differ greatly from broadleaf (dicot) and coniferous (Gymnosperm) trees in their overall form and external structure (morphology) and in their internal structure (anatomy). Morphology and anatomy determine how palms grow, function, and respond to external and internal stress factors. This publication provides a basic understanding of how palms are constructed. This 4-page fact sheet was written by T. K. Broschat, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, May2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep473

Bacterial Blight of Ficus elastica Caused by Xanthomonas (PP305)

Figure 5. High incidence and severity of Xanthomonas blight on F. elastica. In the summer of 2010, leaf blight cases were reported on several Ficus elastica cultivars in Homestead nurseries. Symptoms somewhat resembled those caused by Xanthomonas campestris p.v. fici, but this pathogen has never been reported to occur on Ficus elastica. The outbreak was severe, and the majority of commercial producers in the southern portion of the state were affected. The widespread outbreak from 2010 to date has caused many nurseries to lose entire Ficus elastica crops. This 3-page fact sheet describes the symptoms and disease management recommendations. Written by E. V. Campoverde and A. J. Palmateer, and published by the UF Department of Plant Pathology, April 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp305

Field Production of Palms (ENH1210/EP471)

Figure 1. Palms interplanted in a South Florida field nurseryField production is the most practical means of producing large palm specimens, and it has several advantages over container production. Yield per acre can be maximized compared to many other woody ornamentals because of the columnar growth habit of most palms and their ability to survive transplanting with a minimal root ball. When dug and tied properly, many more palms can be loaded into a standard shipping container than could similarly sized trees. Palms also offer great versatility in the method of field harvesting.This 7-page fact sheet was written by Timothy K. Broschat, Alan W. Meerow, and Jack Miller, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, April 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep471

A Mealybug Phenacoccus multicerarii Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) (EENY550/IN993)

Figure 2. Adult female Phenacoccus multicerarii on a leaf.Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry inspector Lisa Hassell collected the mealybug Phenacoccus multicerarii, a new continental record, from a retail nursery in Fernandina Beach (Nassau County, on 15 June 2011). On a return visit to the store, the mealybug was observed in high numbers on numerous host plants. Three days later, an additional find was made at a nursery in Apopka that had exchanged plant material with the nursery in Jacksonville. No further infestations were reported until October 2012, when a heavy infestation was discovered on a residential planting of coleus in Cooper City (Broward County). This mealybug was described in 2007 from a sample collected in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1949 from an unknown host (Granara de Willink and Szumik 2007). This 2-page fact sheet was written by Ian Stocks, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, April 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in993

Nursery Irrigation System Checklist (ENH1208/EP469)

Figure 2. Appropriate nozzle operating pressure is achieved with a subtending regulator. Irrigation must be intensively managed to achieve optimal production times for plants of superior quality. There must be a balance between excessive and inadequate irrigation. Producers use irrigation control devices and past experience to achieve the balance. A few simple checks before and during irrigation can make a big difference in efficient and uniform delivery of the appropriate amount of water. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Tom Yeager, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, April 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep469

Mealybug Vryburgia trionymoides (DeLotto) (Pseudococcidae) (EENY553/IN991)

Figure 1. Adult females of Vryburgia trionymoides on a succulent leaf. On several occasions in 2011, succulents for sale at retail stores in Florida were found with infestations of the mealybug Vryburgia trionymoides DeLotto. A traceback revealed that the succulents originated in California, where this mealybug is known as an occasional greenhouse pest. Specimens intercepted or found in retail stores often were well-hidden in the axillary region near the stem, making detection more challenging. An untreated infestation can kill a plant, there are no published reports of economic losses caused by this species. This 2-page fact sheet was written by Ian Stocks, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, April 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in991